Cloth guiding and stretching device



April 1930. E. A. RUSDEN 1,752,966

CLOTH GUIDING AND STRETCHING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet lATTORNEYS.

P 1930. E. A. RUSDEN 1,752,966

CLOTH GUIDING AND STRETCHING DEVICE Filed May 6' 9 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

El za/513v") e/f $1180 9.

m E U nar A TTORNEYS.

April 1930- E. A. RUSDEN 1,752,966

CLOTH GUIDING AND STRETCHING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. meXefi/fl/ZlvM/a 1 1 J,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ETHELBEB'I. A. BUSDEN,O1 NAYA'JI'I, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE TEXTILE- FINISHING]![AGHINERY COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORA- TION OFRHODE ISLAND CLOTH GUIDING AND STRETCHING DEVICE Application filed my a,1929,. Serial No. 360,714.

This invention relates to a cloth guiding and stretching device; and hasfor its object to provide in such adevice an electrical control forrelatively movable web-stretching nip rolls whereby the nipping actionof these rolls is automatically effected by an excessive lateralmovement of the edge of the web out of its normal line of travel.

A further object of the invention is to render sensitive the swingingaction of the movable nip roll to the action of an electromagnet, onemeans of obtaining this sensitive movement being by pivotally mountingone of the nip rolls of the pair to swing by gravity away from itscooperating fixed roll and to provide means for counterbalancing thegravity action on this swinging roll so as to render the return of theroll very sensitive to the action of'an electromagnet when energized torestore the swinging roll to nipping position.

The invention further consists in the positioning of the feeler memberto be engagedv by an excessive lateral movement of the travelling weband moved to break the circuit and release the nip of the rolls upon theweb, the feeler being mounted to automatically return to close thecircuit as the web moves back to normal running position to again permitthe energizing. of the electromagnets to restore the nip of the roll onthe web.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described,

and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. J In theaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front'elevation showing a vertically arranged piece of clothengaged on its opposite marginal edges by a pair of rolls for stretchingand guiding the cloth.

Fig. 2 is a section thru the guiding plate and a portion of the framesupporting structure, illustrating the movable roll as disengaged or ininoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with merely the guiding plate insection and showing the rolls as in engagement.

Fig. 4 is a top view with parts in section and the housings removed toshow the operatlve parts of the structure.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation with the guiding plate partially broken awayto show the portions of the operative mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the switch feeler arm extending therefrom.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view thru the switch and feeler arm.

Fig. 8 is an end view thru the switch box with the housing in position.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical hook up of thedevice.

In the use of a device for guiding and stretching a web, such as clothor the like, it has been found desirable to provide some accurate andpositively operating means for moving the guiding rolls into and out ofweb nipping position, which shall be controlled by excessive lateralmovement of the edge of the web from one side to the other or off of thegeneral or center line of feed. Electrical means have been considered asdesirable for accomplishing such a result but in many instancesdifliculty has arisen in utilizing the commercial electric current whichis supplied at 110, 113 or 120 volts alternating current without the UMof complicated and undesirable structures due to causes such as arcingat the switch. whi h is called upon to operate at short intervals tomake and break the circuit for intermittently moving the rolls to andfrom nipping position, which arcing not only detrimentally affects thecontact points but also creates a fire hazard and the possi-- bility ofburning or scorching the goods. In order to avoid these difficulties andundesirable results, I have stepped down the commercial current to a lowvoltage and converted the alternating current to a direct current ofapproximately 8 volts, whereby no arcing is caused at the switch uponthe breaking of the circuit to effect the control of the stretching andguiding roll by the lateral movement of the edge of the cloth and I haveso mounted and'balanced the movable roll that the energy supplied bythis low voltage is su-tficient to draw this movable roll into firmnipping engagement with the traveling web for successfully operatingupon the same and the followin is a detailed description of the presentem odiment of this invention illustrating the preferred means by whlchthese advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, Fig 1 11- lustrates a web of material 10which is engaged on its opposite marginal edges by units 11 and 12, eachof which has its engaging rolls inclined to the direction of feed in apositlon to cause the web to be pulled and u1ded 1n its travel thru themachine as will e apparent from different portions 13 and 14 of the webbefore and after it has passed thru the web stretching device, asillustrated in F1g. 1.

A plurality of these units operate in conjunction with each other andare mounted on the opposite marginal edges of the web at spaced pointsthere along. Theunits used are of identical construction with theexception that one is for the right hand and the other for the left handedge of the cloth. I will therefore proceed to describe one of theseunits from which it will be understood that the other unit is of thesame construction except for the opposite edge of the cloth.

A frame 15, is carried by a hub 16, which is rotatably mounted andclamped in the desired position by a stud engaging the thread opening17. Upon this frame there is a guide plate 18, curved along the edge 19,to facilitate the entry of the web between this plate and a fixed roll20, which is suitably rotatably supported upon anaxis 21, mounted at 22in the frame 15. The plane of the web engaging surface of the plate 18is tangent to the edge of the roll 20, and at a point when the roll 20would engage the plate, the same is slotted as at 23, thru which slot amovable roll 24 operates toward the fixed roll to force the cloth intocontact therewith.

A pivot pin 25 is fixed on the frame 15, back of the plate 18 upon whichis mounted rock levers or arms 26 having portions 27 extending at oneside of the pivot pin between which is rotatably mounted the movableroll 24 by means of suitable bearings or the like, while other portions28 extend generally in the opposite direction from the pivot 25 and havemounted thereon an armature 29 and also a counterweight 30 for the roll24 and tends to swim the rock lever or arms about the pivot 25 whichr011 24 may move by gravity away from the fixed roll 20 into inoperativeposition, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The counterweight 30 is not of suificient mass to lift the roll 24 intoworking position but is of such a weight that but a slight additionalforce is necessary to cause this movement. A magnetic force is su pliedto move the roll into working position y means of an electromagnet 34 toattract the armature 29 on the end of the rock lever. The solenoid 34 isconnected in a direct current circuit (see Fig. 9) by a lead 35 from theelectro-magnet 34 to the converter unit 36, thence thru lead wire 37,switch 38 having contacts 39 and 40 and lead wire 41.

This converter unit is connected to a transformer 42 which in turn isconnected to the 'a well known type of construction, into direct currentenergy. A low voltage of substantially 8 volts is found desirable forthe direct current circuit.

The operative circuit in which the control switch 38 is positioned, isclosed when the rolls are in nipping position. The control switch islocated within a housing having a cover 43 and consists of the fixedcontact 39 supported at 44, and the movable contact 40 supported by aresilient strip of sheet metal 45 mounted at 46 with its inherentresiliency tending to hold the contact 40 in engagement with the contact39 but permitting its free end 47 to swing away from the contact 39 andcarry the contact 40 with it. A feeler member 48 is positioned to beengaged by the edge of the web should the web move laterally between therolls an excessive distance from its line of feed and controls themovement of the resilient strip of metal 45.

This movement of the web moves the feeler bodily and swings contactmember 40 against the inherent tension of the strip 45 out of engagementwith the contact 39 and thereby breaks the circuit and deenergizes theelectromagnet 34 and permits the movable roll 24 to gravitate away fromthe fixed roll and release the cloth to be moved by the opposite unitback to the line of feed after which the contacts 39 and 40 again engageand cause the roll 24 to move into working position.

The rock lever 26 with its roll 24 mounted at one end is limited in itsseparating movement of the rolls by a finger 31 engaging an adjustableabutment 32 consisting of a set screw and check nut 33 which may bevaried to accommodate webs of different thickness.

It will of course be understood, that in operation the rolls nip the webwhen in working position caused by the electro-magnets being energizedto attract the armature and swing the movable roll toward the fixed rollbut that upon movement of the feeler member by a movement of the web outof its line of feed, the circuit is broken permitting separation of therolls and allowing the opposite unit to draw the web back into the lineof feed.

It will also be understood that each of these units is suitably mountedin the customary manner and bodily movable toward and from each other toaccommodate different widths of webs.

I have referred to the movable roll as moving from the fixed roll bygravity but it will be understood that a spring or other means cuitresponsive to the movement of said feeler may be used to accomplish thisresult or that the electromagnetic action may be used to cause arelative separation of the rolls and their nip be caused by some forceacting in the other direction.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that Ireserve theprivilege of resorting to all the'mechanica-l changes to which thedevice is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only bythe terms of theappended claims.

I claim 1. In a web stretching machine, a pair of opposed guide rollunits, each unit comprising a pair of nip rolls arranged to engage themargins of the material on opposite surfaces thereof, said rolls beingmounted to be relatively moved to and from web nipping position,electromagnetic means for relatively moving said rolls to controlnipping position, a supply of relatively low voltage irect current,means connecting said electromagnetic means in the direct currentcircuit, a feeler member positioned to be engaged by the edge of thecloth, and switch means in said electromagnetic circuit responsive to,the movement of said feeler for controlling the energizing ordeenergizing of said electromagnetic means, said voltage beingsufficiently low to prevent sparking or pitting of the points.

2. In a web stretching machine, a pair of opposed guide roll units, eachunit comprising a pair of nip rolls arranged to engage the margins ofthe material on opposite surfaces thereof, said rolls being mounted tobe relatively moved to and from web nipping position, electromagneticmeans for relatively moving said rolls to control nipping position, asource of relatively high voltage alternating current, means convertingsaid current into a low voltage direct current, means connecting saidelectromagnetic means in the direct current circuit, a feeler memberpositioned to be engaged by the edge of the cloth, and switch means insaid electromagnetic cirfor controlling the energizing or deenergizmg ofsaid electromagnetic means.

3. In a web stretching machine, a pair of .opposed guide roll units,eachunit comprising a pair of nip rolls arranged to engage the margin of thematerial, one of said rolls being pivotally mounted to be moved to andfrom web nipping position, an armature operatively, associated with saidpivoted nip roll, a magnet adapted when energized to attra'ct saidarmature and move said pivoted roll to control its nipping position, asupply of relatively low voltage direct current, means connecting saidmagnet in the direct current circuit, a feeler member positioned to beengaged by the edge of the cloth, and

switch means in said magnetic circuit respontion of travel, eachcomprising a fixed guide roll adapted to engage one surface of saidmaterial, a cooperating pivotally mounted guide roll adapted to engagethe other surface of said material and to move to non-nipping position,an armature connected to said pivotally mounted guide roll to pivotthere.-

with and a magnet adapted when energized to attract the armature to movesaid movable guide roll to control its nipping position, a

source of high voltage alternating current,

means for transforming said high voltagealternating current into a lowvoltage direct current, said magnets being operatively included in thedirect current circuit, and means including a movable contact membermounted on said frame beyond each normal material edge to be engaged onexcessive material movement and electrically control its respectiveelectromagnet until the opposite guide roll unit has drawn the materialback to normal position.

5. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the web material for nipping said materialobliquely with reference to its direction of travel, each unitcomprising a fixed guide roll adapted to engage one side of the materialat the marginal edge thereof, a movable guide roll on the opposite sideof said material pivotally mounted to move to non-nipping position awayfrom the fixed roll, electromagnetic means for moving said movable rollto control its nipping position, a source of relatively highvoltagealternating current, a transformer for reducing the current to lowvoltage, a rectifier to convert said current to a low voltage directcurrent, said electromagnetic means being included in the "directcurrent circuit, a feeler member positioned'to be engaged by the edge ofthe cloth when out of the line of travel and switch means in said directcurrent circuit operable upon movement of said feeler member to controlthe electromagnetic means.

6. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the web material for nipping said materialobliquely unit comprising a fixed guide roll adapted to engage one sideof the material at the marginal edge thereof, a movable guide roll onthe opposite side of said material pivotally mounted to move tonon-nipping position away from the fixed roll, electromagnetic means formoving said movable roll to control its nipping position, a supply oflow voltage direct current, said electromagnetic means being included inthe direct current circuit, a switch in said circuit having a fixedcontact, and a movable contact mounted upon a strip having inherentresiliency tending to move said contacts into engagement, and a feelermember for operating said switch mounted to be moved by the resiliencyof said movable contact intoa position to be engaged by the edge of theweb when out of its normal line of travel, said direct current being ofa voltage sufliciently low to prevent pitting of the contacts inoperation.

7 A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the web ma.-

terial for nipping said material obliquely with reference to itsdirection of travel, each unit comprising a fixed guide roll. adapted toengage one side of the material at the 'marginal edge thereof, a movableguide roll on the opposite side of said material pivotally mounted tomove to non-nipping position away from the fixed roll, electromagneticmeans for moving said movable roll to control its nipping position, asource of relatively high voltage alternating current, means forconverting said current into a low voltage ,direct current, saidelectromagnetic means being included in the direct current circuit, aswitch in said circuit having a fixed contact, and a movable contactmounted upon a strip having inherent resiliency tending to move saidcontacts into engagement, and a feeler, member for operating said switchmounted to be moved by the resiliency of said movable contact into aposition to be engaged by the edge of the web when out of its normalline of travel.

8. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the web material for nipping said materialobliquely with reference to its direction of travel, each unitcomprising a pair of rolls, said rolls being separable to release thematerial, electromagnetic mechanism to control the nipping movment ofsaid rolls, a circuit of a voltage sufiiciently low to prevent sparkingfor operating said electromagnetic means, and counter-balancing meansfor said rolls to co- "operate with said'low voltage circuit to controlsaid nipping movement.

9. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a ame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the web material for nipping said materialobliquely with reference to its direction of travel, each unitcomprising a pair of relatively movable rolls, means for pivotallymounting one of said rolls to gravitate away from the other roll,electromagnetic means including an armature for swinging said pivotallymount ed roll towards the other roll, a current of a voltagesufliciently low to prevent sparking for operating said electromagneticmeans, counterbalancing means for said pivoted roll to oppose to asubstantial extent the effect of said gravitation and assist theoperation of said electromagnetic means, and means including a feelermember for engagement with the cloth to control the circuit foroperating the electromagnetic means.

10. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of the Web material for nipping said materialobliquely with reference to its direction of travel, each unitcomprising a fixed roll, a movable roll,

an arm pivotally mounting said movable roll in a position so that theweight of said roll tends to swing the movable roll about the pivot awayfrom the fixed roll, said arm being extended on the opposite side fromsaid pivot, counterbalancing means carried by said arm extension, andelectromagnetic means includroll, and means for relatively pivotally.

mounting the axis of the other roll to swing towards and from the axisof the fixed roll, said mounting means being arranged to permit saidmovable roll to gravitate away from the fix'ed roll, electromagneticmeans for relatively moving said rolls towards each other including acircuit of a voltage sufliciently' low to prevent sparking, andcounterbalancing means for said movable roll on the opposite side of thepivot of said mounting means positioned to be raised by the gravitationof said roll and tending to move said movable roll about said pivot inthe same direction as the electromagnetic means.

12. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said'frameadjacent each edge of the web guide roll material for nipping saidmaterial obliquely with reference to its direction of travel, each unitcomprising a pair of rolls, means for fixedly mounting the axis of oneroll, and means pivoted intermediate its ends for mounting the axis ofthe other roll to-swing towards and from the axis of the fixed roll,said mounting means being arranged to permit said movable roll togravitate away from the fixed roll, electromagnetic means for movingsaid rolls together including an electric circuit of a voltagesulficiently low to prevent pitting of the contact members in operation,counterbalanoing means on the op posite side of the pivot of saidmounting means positioned to be raised by the gravitation of said roll,feeler means engageable with the edge of the cloth, and contact members'in said circuit moved by said feeler means for breaking said circuit.

13. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of expanding guide roll units mounted on saidframe adjacent each edge of said material and adapted to nip each edgeof the material obliquely with reference to its direction of travel,each unit comprising a fixed guide roll mounted on said frame, a magnet,an armature therefor, a slightly underbalanced movable guide rollpivotally fulcrumed on said frame and operatively connected to saidarmature, whereby said movable guide roll normally drops by gravity to aposition out of contact with the fixed guide roll and whereby a smallcurrent energizes the magnet to move the movable guide roll to nippingposition, a source of high voltage alternating current, means fortransforming said high voltage alternating current into a low voltagedirect current, each magnet being included in the direct currentcircuit, and means including a movable feelor member mounted beyond eachnormal material edge to control its respective electromagnet uponabnormal shifting of the material until the opposite roll unit has drawnthe material back to normal position.

14. A stretching and guiding apparatus for web material in open form,comprising a frame, a pair of guide roll units mounted on said frameadjacent each edge of said material and adapted to nip each edge of thematerial obliquely with reference to its dithan said work arm andmovable guide roll whereby the movable guide roll tends'to drop to aposition out of contact with the fixed guide roll, said electromagnetbeing included in an electric circuit to control the movement of themovable guide roll in nipping position,

an electric contact switch in said cir-,

cuit consisting of a fixed contact, and a resilient movable contact, anda feeler finger operatively engaging said movable contact and normallypositioned just beyond the normalposit-ion of the material edge.

15. In a web guiding and stretching device, a plurality of guide rollunits on opposite edges of the web, each comprising a fixed roll, apivot pin ofiset from said roll, a member pivoted intermediate its endson said pin, a roll supported by said member at one side of said pin tobe moved towards and away from the fixed roll, an armature operativelyassociated with the other side of the member, an electromagnetpositioned to move said armature and swing said member to control saidrolls when energized, means for energizing said electromagnet includinga direct current circuit of a voltage, suficiently low to preventsparking, a switch in said circuit having a fixed contact and a movablecontact, said movable contact being mounted upon a strip of materialhaving inherent resiliency and tending to engage said fixed contact, anda movable feeler member operatively engaging said resilient strip and ina position to be engaged by the edge of the web when out of its normalline of travel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

"il LBERT A. RUSDEN.

rection of travel, each unit comprising a fixed mounted on said frame,an electromagnet, and a substantially balanced movable guide rollmechanism including a fulcrum shaft having a work arm and a power arm, amovable guide roll mounted on the work arm thereof in the plane of saidfixed guide roll and an armature connected to the power "arm in theplane of said magnet, and a balancing weight cooperating with said powerarm, the power arm of said lever and its attachments being of slightlyless weight

